Process for the recovery of metals from ores and the like.



CHARLES S. TATE HER, F IiElT'I'TE, MONTANA.

ZFPElfiGI ESS 'JIHEEtECGVERY OF METALS FIRUM (PRES THE LIKE.

ivnumalwa'mmmm Application filed May 21%,

and the like, ofwhich the following is eradication.

provide an effective and inexpensive method recovering metals from inineral matter )1 the like. To accomplish this object I main. use of the heat and sulfurous gases contained in fumes, subjecting oXids, car- M1438 and sulliciently roasted ores containeopp er; iron, arsenic, antimony, lime, in and manganese, in the presence of a sutiicient quantity of Wu er, to the action ese sulfur-nus gases.

will be understood that if desirable in where sulfurous fumes are not avail sulfur, can be burnt in order to prothe necessary sulfurous gases for the ict on of ore.

ids, carbonates or suli'iciently roasted re ground to the proper size and showi or sprayed in water down through the of a series of solution towers, These arc ofsuitable siz and height ac 1 "ling to the quantity of ore to be treated ai-t'ul the length of time the ore requires to inqiosed. The sultfurous fume. are led o these solution towers and mingled with "prayed ore pulp. By meai'is of this every particle of ore is subjected i the action of the sulfurous gases, which, i we presence of water, effects the solution c copper, some of the iron and arsenic aincd-as aforesaid in the ore. This soe ion falls to the sump at the bottom of 3 tower while the unused. pass on to on next tower. The sulfurous fumes are lrawn either by natural. or artificial draft, atthe base of the first tower and by a suitable llue lcd down into the base of a second tower, thence up through the tower and down again to the base of the third tower and so on throughout the series of towersi'inally out of the stack.

he solution towers are built over sumps nt wl'iich the solution of ore and dissolved urous vapors and undissolvcd ore falls. 1; solution is then ofliditcd with o2 y, ;en.

oi any suitable oxidizing agent until all of Specification of Letters Patent.

for the liecoi'ery of .Metals from oi the objects of my invention is to Fatentcd Dec 5, i916,

1916. Serial no. 99,4655.

ferric condition. The solution is now cooled and treated in the cold. Finely ground calcium carbonate is now added to the sol1lticn until further addition of the same causes no efi'ervescence. By this means the whole of the iron is precipitated as ferric hydrate which will react with any arsenic present to preci iiitute the same.

Where copper, zinc, silver and gold. are to be extracted and eliminated, the addition of soluble chlorids, one or more, (the presence of which favors the solution of the above enumerated metals in the sulfurous solution, either by their own solvent powers or due to their presence in preventing secondary reactions from taking place that would tend to render the operation of the process more expensive, or in some cases, prohibitive) is desirable, and is made. I would not desire to limit myself to the above enumerated metals, but would use. one or more either separately or in combination, of the con'in'ion soluble chlorid, such as sodium chlorid, magncsiiiim chlorid, calcium chlorid, ferrous and ferric chlorid and cupric chlorid, in ope 'atingr the process, either in the commencement of same, or-at any stage, where the use of one or more of such chlorids would be advantageous in the cxtraction of any and all of the aforesaid metals from their ores.

The. solution of the ore, as may be, having;- been satisitai'ztorily accomplished, with the use of one or more of the soluble chlorids mentioned above, is separated from the in soluble residue by decantation or filtration into suitable containers and the excess o'l' suliurous gases is gotten rid oi" either by heat, steam o air, a nd. the surplus acidity of the solution due to acid salts: "free acid or otherwise, ne'l'itralized, partially or wholly as may be necessary, with the carbonates, oxids and hydrates of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassiui'n, or with a mixture oi. same, as may be possible.

When iron is present, the solution. is par tially neutralized and oxidized or not, as desired, with air, or any suitable oxidizing agent. The solution, hot or cold is then exposed in any suitable main '1' to the action of compressed air, oxygemor a coi'i'ibination of the two. The iron contained in said soluti on can thus be partially or wholly precipitated as a brownish-red,pulverulent powder Fed) (ferric acid), at will, by the operator,

necessity of reducing'the simply by regulating; 1st. the acidity of the solution; 2nd, the length of time of the treatment'of the solution with air or oxygen; 3rd, the degree of strength of the solution of the soluble chlorids; especially Whilens 111g sodium chlorid, calcium chlorid, or a mixture of the soluble chlorids; 4th, the temperature of the solution; 5th, the condition of the iron after it has been leached out of the ore and While in the leaching medium thus: i

ZFeSO SO =Fe (SO Ferrous su1fite=Ferric sulflte The neutralizing agents added, take no part inthe reaction, merely reducing the acidity of the solution thus:

soa E20 CaC0 =--CaS0 002 H2O Freshly precipitated ferric oxid is soluble inmoderately strongacid solution, hence the acidity in order to obtain the precipitate.

In case the ores contain arsenic and it is desired to eliminate and recover it, a differ ent method for: precipitating the iron is used. The, solution ofthe ore is effected and the excess of SO, gas is gotten rid of as above mentioned and,the solution is oxidized or not, as may be desired, by a suitable oxidizing agent, and the iron is precipitated as ferric hydrate Fe (OH) by the addition of a sufiicientamount of the oxids, carbonates or hydrates, of barium, calcium, strontium, magnesium, sodium, or potassium, and mixtures of these can also be used. When the ironis precipitated in this form, the ferric hydrate Fe,(( )ll) formed, has-the power of uniting with the arsenic present and forming either ferric arsenite or ferric arsenate,

as may be, which is-precipitated and removed by filtration or other suitable Ways from the solution.

It is Well understood that any and all steps in this process can be carried out in the presence of heat or cold, as may be most advantageous The condition of the solution as to the amount of free acid and state of oxidization can be regulated to suit the best purpose of the ap licati'on. of the process.

It is my intentionof effecting the functioningof this process for the purpose of cheapness of operation, by, 1st, using SO gas and Water; 2nd, using SO, gas, Water and heat; 3rd, using SO gas and water and soluble chlorid, and a mixture of soluble chloridasaforementioned, along with heat when necessary, or by using a mixture of soluble chlorids, 4th, using the above means separately, in part, or in combination, also us ng the soluble chlorids mentioned separately, in part, or in combination for the purpose of extracting the metals aforemen- The copper being in'solution in the form of Cu SO (cuprous sulfite) no addition of SO gas is necessary, thus (Cuprous 'sulfite) 011 2NaCl suflicicnt heat== (Cuprous chlorid) 2CuCl M1 50 (sodium sullitc) tioned, with suflicient heat to form the sulfite,-purifying the solution'of any objectionable metal, as aforementioned, heating sufficiently, eliminating the cuprous chlorid and recovering the copper by any means such as cementation, smelting or electrolysis, excess acidityof solution may be removed by suitable means as aforementioned at any state to facilitate the desired reaction.

Oxidization of the solution is effected dur ing variousstages of the process by any suit able oxidiZ-ing agent, with or Without the presence of mineral matter, that tend to promote by their presence such oxidization,

so that the formation of sodium sulfate is of the common chlorids that can. react, for

the purpose of effecting the desired reactions, leaching out the metals from the mineral. matter eliminating excess acidity of solution, passing air through same thereby precipitating iron as ferric 'oxid, eliminating same, further eliminating excess acidity of solution and sufliciently heating same whereby copper is precipitated as cuprons chlorid.

2. In the art of recovering copper and other metals from mineral matter and the like consisting in treating the naturally oxidized or sufficiently roasted sulfide ore with sulfurous gases and the like in the presence of heat and a solution containing at least one of the common chlorids that can react, for the purpose of effecting the desired reactions, leaching out the metals from the mineral matter eliminating excess acidity of solution-by suitable means, sufficiently heating the solution to precipitate the copper as cuprous chlorid, eliminating the cuprous chlorid and recovering the copper.

3. In the art of recovering copper and other metals from mineral matter and the like consisting in treating the naturally oxidized or sufiiciently roasted sulfid ore with sulfurous gases and the like in the presence l. In the artof recovering copper and other metals from mineral matter and the like consisting in treating the naturally oxidized or sufficiently roasted sulfid ore with sulfurous gases and the like in the presence of heat and a solution containing at least one of the common chlorids that can react,

for the purpose of effecting the desired reactions, leaching out the metals from the mineral matter eliminating excess of SO- gas by suitable means, partiallyeliminating excess acidity of solution by neutralization;

iassin air throu 11 same thereby )reciJi-K tating iron, eliminating same, adding suilicient additional neutralizing agent whereby the passage of more air through the solution completely precipitates the iron as ferric oxid, eliminating the ferric oxid and sulficiently heating the solution meanwhile neutralizing any excess acidity of solution, whereby copper is precipitated as cuprous chlorid, recovering the copper.

5, In the art of recovering copper and other metals from mineral matter and the like" consisting in treating. the naturally oxidized or sufliciently roasted sulfid ore with sulfnrous gases'and the like'in the presence of heat and a solution containing at lcast one of the common chlorids that can react, for the purpose of eii'ecting the desired reactions, leaching out the metals from the mineral matter eliminating excess acidity of solution, passing air through same thereby precipitating iron as ferric oxid, eliminating same, further elin'iinating excess aciditv oi" ltion, sulliciently heating same covering the sodium eliminating the cuprous chlorid and whereby copper is precipitated as cuprous chlorid, cooling the solution and recovering the sodium sulfate.

In the art of recovering copper and other metals frommineralmatter and the like consisting in treating the naturally oxidized or'sufliciently roasted sulfid ore With sulfurous gases and the like in the presence of heat and a solution containing at least one of the common chloride that can react, for the purpose of efiecting the desired reactions, leaching out the metals from the mineral matter eliminating excess acidity of solution by suitable means sufficiently heating the solution to precipitate the copper as cuprous chlorid, cooling the solution and 1 sulfate.

v 7. In the art of other metals from mineral matter and the like consisting in treating the naturally oxidized or suiiiciently roasted sulfid ore'with sulfurous gasesand the like in the presence of heat and a solution containing at least one of the-common chlorids that can react, for the purposes of effecting the desired reactions, leaching out the metals from the mineral matter eliminating excess of S0 gas by suitable means, partially eliminating excess acidity of solution by neutralization; passing air through same thereby precipitating iron, eliminating same, adding sufiicient additional neutralizing agent whereby the passage of more air through the solution completely precipitates the iron as ferric oxid, eliminating the ferric oXid and sufficiently heating the 'solutionmeanwhile neutralizing any excess acidity of solution whereby copper is precipitated as cuprous chlorid, eliminating the cuprous chlorid and recovering the copper, cooling the solution and recovering the sodium sulfate.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto my hand in the witnesses.

set presence of two subscribing CHARLES S. VADNER.

' lVitnesses:

Mo mu 2 Sunrnnnn, 1)( mn A Mancnr'rs.

recovering copper and 

